genetics home reference information Rx

A new program launched by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) and the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) encourages practitioners to refer their patients to Genetics Home Reference, a free, user-friendly NLM Web site at http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov. Under this program, doctors can request free Information Rx pads, which enables them to write “prescriptions,” pointing patients to the Genetics Home Reference site for information about newborn screening and related genetic disorders. Four of the nation’s most respected medical associations—the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and the American College of Medical Genetics—have teamed with NLM and NICHD on this initiative.

Genetics Home Reference includes over 500 topics on genetic conditions and related genes. The site also features an illustrated tutorial that explains the basics of genetics and a glossary of genetics terms. The site is regularly updated by scientific staff and reviewed by external experts.